Four-leaf-clover game.



N. A WEPLER.

FOUR LEAF CLOVER GAME.

APPLICATION mm ran. 26. 1916.

1,270,675. I Patented June 25, 1918.

llllll NEWMAN A. WEPLER, OF VALLEY STATION, KENTUCKY.

FOUR-LEAF-CLOVER GAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 25, 1918.-

Application filed February 26, 1916. Serial No. 80,666.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NEWMAN A. Wnrnnn, a citizenof the United States,residing at Valley Station, in the county of Jefferson and State ofKentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in F our-Leaf-Clover Games; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

The invention relates to a four leaf clover game.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction ofgames and to provide an attractive and amusing four leaf clover gameadapted to be played by two, three or four persons and provided withintersecting paths forming a labyrinth through which the players move inopposite directions and which have safety portions and other portions onwhich the pieces of the various players may be captured.

With this and other objects in view the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafterfully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and pointed outin the claim hereto appended, it being understood that various changesin the form, proportion and minor details of construction may beresorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of theadvantages of the invention.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a plan view of a game board constructed inaccordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a game piece.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a cup.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a die.

In the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated the preferredembodiment of the invention. the game board 1 which may be constructedof paste board or any other suitable material designed to be of the formshown but the four leaf clover shape of the field may of course beapplied to a board of rectangular shape. The game board which hasrounded corners or corner portions 2 is provided with straightintersecting diametrically arranged paths 3 located at the center of thegame board and connected at their terminals by arcuate outer paths atwhich are located at the marginal edges of the game board when thelatter is of the particular shape shown in the drawmg The diametricallyarranged paths 3 and the curved marginal connecting paths are dividedinto spaces 5 by transverse lines 6 and in the playing of the game thecurved outer connecting paths are the exposed portions of the paths overwhich the pieces are moved and on which the pieces may be taken orcaptured and sent back to the starting point. The intersectingdiametrically disposed paths are in the playing of the game termedsafety zones over which the pieces may be moved without being capturedby the pieces of an adversary. The areas defined by the diametricallyarranged paths and the curved connecting paths form convenient spacesfor the men or pieces of the players not in use and the said spaces areconveniently arranged to have the dies thrown on them in the playing ofthe game without interfering with or disarranging the pieces in play onthe game board.

The game board is preferably lined at the points of intersection of thecurved connecting paths and the diametrically arranged paths forstarting and finishing points A, B, C and D and the words Start andFinis are preferably printed on the spaces 7 at opposite sides of thesaid starting points.

The game is played with disks or pieces 8 and dies 9 and cups 10, eachplayer being provided with two men or pieces 8, two dies 9 and a cup 10and the throws and plays occur in succession. To start a piece in playon the board, each player must throw the specified number, say 3, andthe number exposed on the other die indicates the number of spaces suchpiece is to be advanced when being put into play. Any other number maybe of course employed as a starting number and it is designed that anydouble thrown will count twenty and that the throwing of three doublesin succession will compel the player to return all of his pieces in playon the board between the starting and fin ishing points back to thestarting point. The route to be followed by a player start ing at A fromA to B; B to D; D to A; AtoC;CtoD;DtoB;BtoCandCto A. which is thefinishing point. In the safety zones two pieces may occupy the samespace without one sending the other back but in the outer exposed spacesof the curved connecting paths onepiece moving to the spaceocclipied'byanother Will send the latter back.

It. Will be seen that the approximately four leaf clover formation ofthe game board provides a labyrinth through "which the pieces of theplayers move and in which the-pieces pass and renew one anotheraffording opportunities forthe adversaries to capture or send back thepieces of the oppesingplay'ejrs.

What is clai 1ned"is:

vA game comprising a board having at the margin of: its playing surfacea path de :lineating: a; four leaf clover,'straight intersecting pathsextending across the center of the board and forming a safety zone, saidstraight paths merging into said marginal path and forming a dangerzone, transverse lines dividing the paths into spaces adapted to receivegame pieces, and a starting and finishing path at each merging point ofthe straight and marginal paths, a pair of said starting and finishingpaths extending parallel with each of said straight intersecting paths.

In testimony whereof I afilx my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

NEVMAN A. VVEPLER.

Vitnesses:

LEE E. CRALLE, HERBERT C. ORALLE.

copies ot thfi patent may be obtained for five cents each, -byaddressing thefCommissioner of Patents.

Washingtpmil). G.

